


Starboy

by varisaura



Category: Inazuma Eleven
Genre: Angst, Canon Universe, Childhood Friends, Childhood Trauma, First Kiss, M/M, Multiple Personalities, Time Skips, i don't really know how to tag sorry, very slight but necessary space analogies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-25 16:14:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22498903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/varisaura/pseuds/varisaura
Summary: Hiroto was a starboy. He had always been so, since the early days. Even when he was alone on the swing, his eyes were full of tears, he was a starboy.
Relationships: Kiyama Tatsuya | Kiyama Hiroto | Gran/Midorikawa Ryuuji | Reize
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Starboy

**Author's Note:**

> My feelings for this ship literally never die.

Hiroto was a starboy. He had always been so, since the early days. Even when he was alone on the swing, his eyes were full of tears, he was a starboy.

Ryuuji was just a young boy with no hopes. Everybody in the orphanage was either too young to realize their disgrace, either mature enough to feel abandoned. Enough not to trust anyone for the rest of their lives.

Hiroto was only eight when they first met, but he had no memory of his parents at all. He felt like he was born there. He was renamed Hiroto because of his resemblance to Father’s son. He _became_ Father’s son.

Ryuuji came to Sun Garden when he was seven, and could not forget his mother’s cry when she walked away. He didn’t talk at first. He used to eat alone, and didn’t speak a word to anyone.

Ryuuji was calm, maybe too much. He just did not feel like talking. He could not feel like trusting anybody anymore.

One day it happened. They locked eyes. Hiroto was playing outside with a ball. He kept kicking it, throwing it to his friends. Ryuuji just enjoyed watching those kids, kids just like him, play and have fun.

He wished he had the courage to be like them.

A pretty blue-haired girl happened to kick the ball too far for Hiroto to get it, so it slid out of the field, stopping right under the steps Ryuuji was sitting on. Hiroto looked at him, his bright green eyes were glowing under the sunlight.

\- Can you pass it to me? - he asked politely. Ryuuji didn’t know how to react, the prettiest kid he had ever seen had just talked to him. He just gave it a light kick, enough to send it back to Hiroto.

\- Hey. - he said again. - Do you want to play with us?

Ryuuji did not want to answer, but did not want to look rude to Hiroto either.

\- I’m not good. - he just said. The sound of his own voice sounded so weird after weeks of silence. But he spoke.

\- Doesn’t matter. - Hiroto smiled. So he walked towards him.

Hiroto saying “You’re in my team.” was all it took for the green-haired boy to smile.

He still remembers the feeling of that smile. That’s the first time Ryuuji realized Hiroto was a starboy.

Hiroto thought Ryuuji had never been much of a happy kid. To him nothing was true, feelings were merely an illusion. Yet, since he was friends with Hiroto, he started to smile more. He had the habit of looking at the sky when the weather was nice. He used to lose himself in the blue nothingness of the air above him. And everything felt lighter. Whenever they did homework together, Hiroto noticed sometimes his green-haired friend would space out while looking at the sky.

He did not feel like interrupting him. It was obvious Ryuuji was thinking about something important. Maybe he still hoped his mother would come back. He would just, sometimes, look at him and smile. Hiroto could find in him something others couldn’t find yet.

Ironically enough, Hiroto grew fond of the stars. Father gave him a telescope as a present when he turned thirteen. He liked studying constellations and observing them. It made him feel calm. It relieved him from the soccer he was being imposed.

\- Are you happy now, nerd? - Haruya said, in a mocking tone sitting on Hiroto’s bed, while Hiroto was assembling his telescope. Hiroto just laughed, he knew Haruya was a real tease sometimes.

\- Shut up, Haruya. - Fuusuke smacked him lightly on his head. - You don’t get to use nerd as an insult for Hiroto.

Fuusuke instead was the only one who wanted to put up with his hot-tempered attitude. Hiroto thought that was just because after all Fuusuke was fond of Haruya.

Ryuuji remembers laughing at this, behind them.

\- Hey, Midorikawa. What are you laughing at? - Haruya sounded pretty intimidating, as he turned back to him. He spoke in a strong southern accent, his fiery red hair looked much different from Hiroto’s, undoubtedly more aggressive. His eyes were golden like honey, skin dark from the heavy tan after summer.

\- Haruya... - Fuusuke kept his hands on Haruya’s shoulders, not even looking at him. He wondered whether Hiroto would be able to complete the montage.

\- Leave Ryuuji alone, Haruya. - Hiroto said, with a small laugh. Ryuuji knew it was nothing personal. Haruya was a kind-hearted boy after all. He was only ruthless with Fuusuke and Hiroto, his closest friends, his best rivals, because they were the same age.

The bickering continued until late night. When Haruya and Fuusuke left for their room, only Ryuuji and Hiroto were left.

\- Wanna watch the stars from here? - Hiroto asked him.

Ryuuji nodded.

\- Come over here. - he instructed, so Ryuuji sat on his knees and came near to the lens.

Ryuuji felt like floating in that space, touching every star.

\- How does it look? - Hiroto asked him, his body right behind Ryuuji’s.

\- It’s... - words died in his mouth, as from the lens everything looked nearer and clearer. - breathtaking.

Hiroto was looking at him, smiling sweetly. Ryuuji did not realize, he was too immersed in the thought of dipping himself in the eternal darkness.

\- Isn’t it? - he said, staring carelessly at the sky. - I love studying this stuff.

Ryuuji turned to look at him. - How come do you like it so much?

Hiroto chuckled. - Feels like I can escape from here.

Just when Ryuuji had grown accustomed to that place, Hiroto wanted to escape. They really had different rhythms, Ryuuji thought to himself. His heart skipped a beat.

Ryuuji thought he couldn’t have someone like Reize inside himself. He was merciless, fearless, violent. When Aliea project started, mentors and teachers, instead of helping Ryuuji deal with the feeling of abandonment, urged him to project his resentment onto his soccer plays. Reize was forceful where Ryuuji was too weak, harsh where Ryuuji was too soft. Reize was everything he had never been, everything he’d never thought he could be.

He was strong, bold, coldly resentful, excessively vehement. And that Reize was extremely attracted to Gran. But was Gran attracted to Reize?

Gran was the perfect evolution of Hiroto. Whenever he looked at Gran, he could only see the frightening beauty of his eyes. There was nothing left of Hiroto anymore. 

He could not even bear looking at the stars the way he used to.

He was _the_ star. Whenever one of the Aliea teams had to play against Gaia, there was no chance to block his Ryuusei Blade. The power of his kicks, the confidence of his moves, the way he used to put on a show with his plays, everything was just _too much_. Reize was fascinated, Ryuuji was scared.

Gran was a real child of the stars. There was no one like him. While Gazel and Burn fought for the title of best captains of the Master Rank, Gran sat undoubtedly on top.

Whenever he stood on the field, Gran would be the star. Even for Reize, Gran was too far ahead. Reize could never reach him. And what Reize couldn’t take his eyes off of, was the tight fitting uniform of Gaia. Gran wore it confidently, especially under Reize’s eyes.

He purposefully flexed his thigh muscles, he arched his back sensually as if he was a hypnotic dancer, right when he was executing the Ryuusei Blade. Gazel thought that sometimes Gran loved making too much of a show, and that was despicable. Burn just stayed silent, kinda embarrassed, when Gazel made these comments during Gaia matches. He loved putting on a show too, as a result of his chaotically histrionic personality. At first he did not realize it. But it was during a friendly match between Gaia and Gemini Storm that Reize lost his mind.

\- Dear Reize, seems like you enjoy being under my power. - Gran chuckled in his ear. Reize was under his power, absolutely, uncontrollably.

Reize hadn’t been able to score a point. He wondered how he could, when Gran was teasing him like that.

When Reize was forced to die, Ryuuji could not bear it. When Reize left, a part of Ryuuji himself left as well. Ryuuji cried for days, he could not bring himself to speak. He trusted people once again, and once again his trust was broken, shattered like fine glass. Those glass splinters pierced his skin, drew blood, remained in his body, as a memento to keep until his death, as scars ready to open and bleed whenever ash memories would show up in his tricky mind. As they penetrated through his bones, as they turned Reize to dust, Ryuuji felt like hope was nil. He didn't know he needed to die in order to feel alive.

But what hurt more was looking at Gran, when he still blamed Reize's weakness for succumbing so early against a mere bunch of mortals. 

What hurt more was being alone in his room, not being enough to even share a room with Gran. He was the starboy. Ryuuji, or Reize, was just an asteroid. He no longer had a name. He was just there, sitting on his bed, crying night and day. Not even looking at the sky comforted him anymore. He was sad and lonely, again. Just seven years later. 

What abandoned him was family, again. Or what was supposed to be his family. His several siblings, and Father. He was victim of an insane man, of an insane plan, of an insane intent. He and his several siblings as well. He wanted Gran to realize that. Nothing more. 

And what hurt the most, was that it wasn't him who killed Gran and revived Hiroto. Looking at him, Gran felt nothing but pity for not being strong enough. In his room, he cried until he ran out of tears. In his room, nobody ever came in or cared about him. Ryuuji thought it was over. He just wanted Hiroto back, at all costs. But he didn't know whether Hiroto would ever come back. 

So one day Hiroto went to him. He told him it was over, that it was all just like a bad dream. He didn't have the magnetic charm possessed by Gran, it was just Hiroto, with soft strands of flame red hair falling in front of his face when he was speaking with Ryuuji. No trace left of the sensuality or boastfulness that belonged to Gran. 

\- I know you hate me now. - Hiroto said, sitting on Ryuuji's bed. - Believe me Ryuuji, I really didn't realize I was hurting you like that. - his voice sounded broken. 

\- The only thing I could see was Father. - there was a moment of silence, Ryuuji started weeping silently. - I was so blinded I couldn't see how ruined you were. I don't expect you to forgive me, 'cause I can't forgive myself. The pain I've caused you was too much. 

Hiroto was crying too. 

\- I can. - Ryuuji said. Hiroto looked up to him. - I can forgive you, Hiroto. You know. I will always forgive you. 

Hiroto sat still, staring at Ryuuji with tears in his eyes. As much as Ryuuji had felt betrayed by his behaviour, he knew that was Gran's fault. Ryuuji looked at him. There were stars in his tears. 

It was a summer night that both of them could not sleep. They just needed to stay out for a while, enjoying the fresh breeze of the night. Ryuuji was getting too irritated with the feeling of his skin sticking to the sheets, Hiroto was wide awake, laughing quietly at Ryuuji's reaction to that heatwave. The green-haired boy said: -I can't sleep, I'll go out for a while. 

\- Wait, - Hiroto replied. - I'm coming with you. 

So it happened. They were lying on the grass, under a tree. Ryuuji was sitting with his back on the log of the tree, admiring the lights of the sky, Hiroto was on his stomach, hands under his chin. Ryuuji was tired, yet he found himself wondering about the stars above him. 

\- Ryuuji, - Hiroto said, noticing the boy lost in his own mind. - What are you thinking about? 

\- Once I die, - he said in a breathy voice - I want to become a star. And be up there. - he gestured at the sky.

\- Don't need to die. You already are. - Hiroto said, coming near him. Ryuuji looked at him, caught off guard. Hiroto came closer and closer, his aqua pupils reflecting Ryuuji's gaze like a mirror. Ryuuji could see himself in his eyes, his figure swallowed whole by the other's stare. 

\- Hiroto... - was the only thing Ryuuji managed to say. 

\- Ryuuji... - the other responded, just as a hot whisper in his ears. - Have you realized? - he said, his face barely a few inches away from other boy, heavily flustered.

\- What? - he knew he may have sounded stupid, but with Hiroto's face hovering just a little away from his, the tone of his voice intoxicating his veins, he was slowly losing control on his mind. His body was soon next.

Hiroto did not feel like using words to explain. He just closed the distance between them, and softly but suddenly placed his lips on Ryuuji's. The green-haired boy was a little startled, but he enjoyed the feeling of Hiroto's lips on his. He enjoyed Hiroto's presence above anything else. He had been waiting for what felt like an eternity. Everything was ignited in Ryuuji's body, flames were flowing in his veins, sparks in his brain. 

Ryuuji slightly parted his lips just for Hiroto's tongue to lick his way into his mouth. He felt Hiroto smile, just a few seconds before he gently sucked his tongue and went back to kiss him. Ryuuji didn't care about air or breathing as long as he was kissing his soulmate. For a moment, he forgot everything. Hiroto's hand was now behind his neck, and Ryuuji thought he was about to melt. Their skin was kissed by the sweet air of the night, no longer tormented from the intense heat of their room, while Hiroto licked his lips as if they were sugar.

When they parted Ryuuji's lips were red (just like his cheeks) and wet, and Hiroto giggled. He was still that pretty child that made little Ryuuji want to talk to him and smile. He was a beautiful young man now, still a child at heart. - You're beautiful. - he said to Hiroto. 

Hiroto wasn't expecting that, blushing heavily as he did. He noticed the way the moonlight painted his skin of a milky silver, and soon felt like getting drunk with it right in front of his eyes. He really looked like a child of the stars.

\- Let's stay here some more. - Hiroto said, while going back to kissing him. 

Ryuuji would have stayed there for eternity. 

Whatever happened, no matter how much time passed, Ryuuji never stopped being blinded by Hiroto's light. He always looked at him as if he was the bright morning star. Hiroto was easily the best person ever entered in his life, the only one he could never leave. Hiroto found it ironic how Ryuuji preferred looking at the sky in the daylight, when he preferred stargazing on summer nights. He said the night sky reminded him of the galaxies in Midorikawa's eyes. 

As much as Hiroto wanted him to believe he held galaxies in his eyes, the truth was only one. Hiroto was a starboy, he had always been. He was like the sun. And Ryuuji found his peace in being his favourite satellite.


End file.
